I love my rescue dogs! Sure, they are messy and needy. Yes, their breath could smell better and their idea of personal space is ridiculous. But they are the most loving creatures and I get to share every day with them. They are happy to see me no matter what. They forgive my mistakes (oops! was that your tail?) and never seem to notice if I’m having a bad hair day. I am grateful to have these loving creatures in my life and in my family’s life.
In case you weren’t aware, I am an animal lover. As a kid, I was the one who was always bringing animals home and begging to keep them. I often tried to convince my parents that our backyard was big enough for a horse (or two). Growing up, I had chickens, dogs, cats, hamsters, and even a cockatiel named Sunny. With the exception of pet store hamsters, all of our pets were adopted. I was three when my dad brought home our first dog from the local animal shelter. We named him Elmo and he was part of our family for 13 years. We grew up together, had adventures together, and then he grew old and I grew up.
After I left my parent’s home, I lived without pets for a very long time. More then 20 years, if you don’t count the goldfish my daughter brought home from preschool. She named it Dog. Dog lasted 5 days and then went belly up. What my daughter really wanted was a dog, thus the fish’s name. We didn’t adopt our first family dog until she was in high school. We waited until all our children were old enough and we found the ideal dog for our home.
That dog was Lily. She was as close to a perfect fit for us and we could have ever dreamed. She was one of the sweetest creatures I have ever known. We lost Lily to an immune system disorder a year ago. It was one of the hardest moments of my life to stand there beside her and say goodbye. I wrote about her in this post from last year.
Adopting Again
We made the decision to adopt a new dog within a month of Lily’s passing. I just couldn’t stand coming home and not having a little furry face greet me at the door. Our house seemed much more lonely without her. So we started looking on Petfinder.com for a new dog to rescue. Soon, we found a little female mixed breed we liked the look of. We met her at an adoption event and she came home with us. We named her Penny. But while we were looking online at rescue dogs, another dog caught our eye. We met her the same day as Penny. She had some social anxiety issues and needed a home with another dog to show her the ropes. A month after we got Penny, we brought Rosie home too. So now I am the owner/mom of two rescue dogs.
Rosie and Penny are very different in personalty. Rosie is timid, shy, and overly attached to me. Penny is dominant, outgoing, and loves to greet everyone she meets. She usually does this by rubbing on their feet. Penny leads and Rosie follows. Penny is older. We thinks she’s about 6 years old. Rosie was still a bit of a puppy when we got her. She loved to chew things up and she’s grown a bit too. The longer we’ve had them, the more they’ve settled into our family’s life.
Rosie and Penny are often showcased on my Instagram account. And why shouldn’t they be? They’re very photogenic. Both this blog and my Instagram are dedicated to happiness, favorite things, and positivity. They fit right in with those goals.
Sick Puppies
Last month, Rosie got sick and Penny caught the bug soon after. I had no idea dogs could get stomach flu. What a mess! It was like having two sick toddlers. They threw up whenever and wherever they felt like it with no warning. Far worse, they couldn’t tell me what was wrong or where it hurt. It took a trip for both of them to the vet, subcutaneous fluids, several days of medication and a special homemade diet for them to recover. I was so worried, but am happy to report they’re back to their same silly selves.
After losing Lily, my family would have been devastated to lose Penny or Rosie so soon. In fact, more than one of my family members questioned why we got new dogs if we were only going to lose them too. The truth is, no matter how long we get to keep these two, it will not be long enough. I’ve tried to explain that to my kids. If you want to love something, the price you pay is the pain of losing it. That goes for anything you love. But dogs are something that love you back so innocently and completely that their loss stings more than losing your favorite toy.
The pain of losing a pet is worth the love you gain by having one. We learned that when we lost Lily. It hasn’t changed with Penny and Rosie. As I sit here writing, they are cuddled up next me. When I come home after a long day out, they run to greet me with extreme enthusiasm. When someone in the house is feeling low, they sense it and stick close. They are always willing to listen and a happy to just sit with you. They’re a bit like little, warm, furry therapists.
So there you go, a blog post on how much I love my dogs. If you’re a dog lover too, be sure to come back. I’m working on a post of fun dog lover quotes. In fact, that’s what this post was supposed to be, but I got a little distracted talking about my fur babies.
Thanks for reading and please share using the social media buttons. Leave us a comment about your furry friends in the comment section below.
Penny says “Goodbye!”
